Treasured Past

by Linda Hill

  Donald was staring out his window when I entered his office.

  “Excuse me, sir?’

  “Yes, dear.” His eyes were tired when they met mine.

  “They’ve accepted the offer with one condition, sir.”

  He raised a single brow in reply.

  “She would like to be reimbursed for the money that your son —” I found myself searching for the right word, not wanting to offend him.

  “Stole from her?” He finished the sentence for me. “That seems more than reasonable, I suppose. How much are we talking about?”

  “They’re not certain. They’d like thirty days to complete an audit.”

  He nodded, digesting the news. Then his eyes lifted to mine. “It’s odd that they wouldn’t have an exact figure, though, don’t you think? Considering that the court date is tomorrow and I would have expected them to spring all of this on us then.”

  I was frozen in my tracks. Had I dropped my guard? Is this the moment when Donald would drop the bomb on me?

  He regarded me closely as I mustered my courage.

  “It’s my understanding that your son’s wife just changed representation last week. Perhaps that has something to do with it.” I stared at him boldly, willing him to call my bluff.

  “Hm,” was his only reaction. “Her first lawyer probably wasn’t doing the job,” he surmised. “Sounds like the replacement is on the ball.”

  He took several steps forward and picked up his suit jacket from where it lay on one chair. “Very well. I’ve drafted an agreement that we can modify in the morning.” He reached over to his desk and picked up a piece of paper that he held out to me. “I’d like a signature before the case gets finalized at two. Can you arrange that?”

  I nodded. “I will, Donald.” My eyes did a cursory glance at the agreement.

  He was ushering me from his office.

  “Thank you, Kate. Again, I appreciate your loyalty and discretion in this matter.” He made an attempt at a smile as he passed me in the hallway. “See you in the morning.”

  “Good night, sir.”

  His sigh was heavy. “Let’s hope so, Kate. I’ve got to tell my wife about everything that happened today.”

  “I’m sorry, sir.” I did feel sympathy.

  His only reply was a raised hand as he sauntered toward the elevators.

  I wasted no time in contacting Bob to tell him the good news. We arranged to meet in the courthouse at one o’clock the next afternoon. Plenty of time to exchange signatures and papers before the divorce was made final by the courts.

  Everything went according to plan. Bob was all smiles as he shook my hand and handed me a signed copy of the agreement that I’d faxed earlier in the day.

  I had foolishly hoped that Annie would be there to sign the document before me, and I tried to hide my disappointment at her absence.

  Our time in front of the judge was brief as we agreed to the settlement as outlined in the agreement. Within ten minutes the divorce was final. And Annie still had her house.

  “Well done, Counselor.” Bob patted my shoulder as he smiled. “I’m not quite sure that I understand all of the details —”

  “It’s probably best that way,” I told him.

  He laughed. “Probably. I’m just glad that things turned out well for Annie. She’s a really fine lady, Kate.”

  I wasn’t sure how much he knew about our relationship, so I decided to play it safe.

  “How was she when you spoke with her, Bob? I hope she was pleased.”

  He laughed. “She was bug-eyed furious at first. It took awhile to calm her down. She was convinced that this was just another ploy on their part. But once we got a copy of the agreement this morning I was able to convince her that everything was on the up and up.”

  I wasn’t surprised by his description of her reaction. I only hoped that she was satisfied with the settlement.

  “I’m just glad it’s over,” I told him awkwardly. I was suddenly very sad, wondering if I’d ever get the chance to talk to Annie again and try to figure out if we could put all of this behind us.

  “Ask her to call me sometime, will you?” I realized that my throat was tightening as I spoke the words.

  His expression was somewhat bewildered. “I’ll do that, Kate.” He held out his hand, and I took it in mine. “Take care.”

  “Thanks. You too.” I mustered a small smile before turning and heading outside the courthouse. It was an abnormally hot and humid August day. I should have been full of joy, but instead all I could think about was Annie.

  My shoulders felt heavy with the weight of the world. We should be celebrating right now, I thought. But she’d made it quite clear the last time we spoke that she didn’t want me in her life. I wouldn’t reach out to her. Not again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  The great room was finally finished. Cherry bookcases lined one wall from floor to ceiling. Tung oil had been rubbed into the rich wood, bringing it alive and showing off its natural grain and beauty.

  The window had been installed and was complete as well. Even the stone chimney had been scrubbed clean of the white paint until each stone winked and gleamed in the sunlight. The fireplace begged for a fire to be built and enjoyed. But I found no pleasure in the completion of the project. For me, it marked the end of my very short love affair with Annie. And so the fireplace stayed cold, and the room remained empty.

  Both Beth and Melanie had come to my rescue in the weeks that followed the end of Annie’s divorce case. They both did their best to help me to forget about Annie and move on with my life.

  “You should consider coming back to family law, Kate. You can’t possibly be happy working at that place anymore.” Melanie picked up a carrot and placed it in her mouth, crunching loudly. She and Beth were at my house, where we’d spent the day barbequing and lounging and doing next to nothing.

  “Oh, Mel. I don’t know.” The thought of changing jobs after everything that had happened over the past months exhausted me.

  Melanie and Beth shared a knowing look between them.

  “What?” I asked the question of them both, my eyes floating back and forth between them.

  “She’s right, Kate,” Beth chirped in. “You hate it there.”

  I picked through my salad until I found a tomato. I popped it in my mouth and chewed slowly. The last thing I wanted to discuss right then was my job.

  “You’re both right,” I told them. “I hate working there. I hate the fact that they’re bilking clients left and right and squashing all the little guys.” I picked up a stick of celery and heard its satisfying crunch as it I reached my mouth.

  They were both staring at me, waiting for me to swallow.

  “So?” Mel asked.

  “I’m not ready to make a change, Melanie. The thought alone exhausts me.” The looks on their faces told me that they weren’t convinced. “Besides, I don’t know what I would do.”

  “That’s easy. Come back to the center.”

  I glared hard in Melanie’s direction. “We’ve had this conversation before, Mel. You know why I left and why I won’t go back.”

  “Kate.” Beth was leaning forward now, eyes gentle as searched my eyes. “You have to stop blaming yourself for my losing custody of Billy. It wasn’t your fault, and things have turned out pretty well for us since then.”

  Beth and I had never discussed how I felt about losing her case. Even when I’d abruptly changed jobs, I never talked to her about my reasons.

  It was all I could do to look at her.

  “You trusted me to help you with the most important thing in your life, and I failed,” I told her. “How can I let that go? How can I just pretend it never happened?”

  “Because you have to,” was her reply. “I’ve never blamed you for what happened. I’ve never thought for one moment that you didn’t do everything in your power to get custody of Billy.” She reached across the table and held my hand.

  “You didn’t fail us, Kate. T
he system did. The puritanical judge that sat on that bench didn’t listen to a word you said. The only thing that mattered to him was that I’m a lesbian. He had his mind made up before the case even started.”

  Melanie was leaning forward now too. “It’s true, Kate, and you know it. Just think about it. How can you just walk away from the injustices of our judicial system? How can you turn your back when you know that what it really needs is someone to fight back?

  Someone who is willing to represent all those people who otherwise wouldn’t stand a chance without your help? Just think about the number of lives you’ve touched and made better.”

  “I think they would have done just fine without me.” I lifted a bottle of beer to my lips.

  Beth released my hand. “That’s ridiculous, and you know it. Do you want me to list all of the people you’ve helped over the years just to refresh your memory?”

  I was feeling cornered and chastised.

  “And don’t tell me that you’re sick of it, either,” Melanie chimed in. “I’ve never seen you more spirited than when you’re taking on a particular lawsuit or client. It’s in your blood.”

  I stared from one to the other.

  “Are you both forgetting that I didn’t have a life back then? Do you remember the hours I used to spend at the office? I rarely even saw the inside of my house.”

  Beth was quick to reply. “Forgive me, Kate. You can blame your profession for your lack of personal life if you want to. But the fact is that you really just need to find some balance. There’s nothing wrong with putting in a few extra hours here and there, but you have to know when to walk away.”

  They were both right, of course. But I wasn’t ready to give in so easily.

  “Did you just say that I have no personal life?” I narrowed my eyes to tease her.

  “Well, yeah. I suppose. At least you didn’t before you met Annie.”

  Ouch. Her name was like a knife in my heart. I must have reacted to the mention of her name, because Beth was quick to apologize.

  “I’m sorry Kate. I wasn’t thinking.”

  I waved her worry aside. “It’s okay. I’m going to have to get used to hearing her name sooner or later.”

  “Have you heard from her?” Melanie joined the conversation again.

  I shook my head. “What about you?”

  She nodded slowly. “She called earlier this week. She apologized for the way that she fired me. She admitted that she’d been unreasonable and thanked me for everything I had done.”

  I was suddenly envious. So Annie had reached out to Mel. At least that meant that she was finally beginning to relax and think rationally.

  “That’s good, I suppose,” Beth said. “Don’t you think?” She turned back to me.

  I nodded.

  Melanie hesitated a moment before speaking again. “I also mentioned to her that it was really you that she should be thanking. I told her that you really jeopardized your professional integrity and reputation by pulling off what you did.” She glanced over at Beth. “Can you even imagine what would have happened if Gold had known all along that the two of them were seeing each other?”

  Beth grimaced. “It would have been a disaster.” We were silent while my thoughts turned back to Annie.

  “It sounds like she’s doing well then,” I said aloud. My words met with blank stares. “I’m glad she’s okay.”

  Life began to change rather quickly from there. Within another week, Donald was in my office with a big smile on his face.

  “I just wanted to let you know that everything’s been finalized. I had a check sent to Annie this morning, so everything should be squared away now.”

  I had no idea what he expected for a response, or why he had bothered to come in and tell me about it. My interaction with the senior partner had been limited in recent weeks to brief hellos in the hallway.

  “I’m glad to hear it,” was my lame reply.

  “Now that everything has settled down, I just wanted to come by and thank you again for everything you did. My wife and I appreciate the fact that you were able to circumvent a disaster before it blew up in our faces.” I’d rarely heard such a long monolog from his lips.

  “It was my pleasure, sir.” What else could I say?

  “No, dear. I don’t think that it was.” He seemed to search his brain to come up with the right words. “I think that I underestimated both you and your abilities. I treated you poorly, and I’d like to make up for that.”

  He lifted one hand and reached into his breast pocket. He removed a long thin white envelope and placed in on my desk in front of me.

  I stared at the envelope, and then at him.

  “Open it,” he insisted, and I complied. Inside the envelope was a check for twenty thousand dollars. I counted the zeros twice before raising my eyes back to his.

  “I can’t accept this, Donald.” I placed the check back in the envelope and pushed it to the end of the desk.

  “It’s just a small thank-you. A bonus, if you like.”

  “I appreciate your generosity Donald. But I can’t take the money.” It was bad enough that I had essentially lied and manipulated him into dropping the petition against Annie. It was another thing entirely to take his money for doing it. I may have been pleased that I was able to make sure that Annie kept her house, but I still continued to deal with some guilt.

  Donald appeared stunned. I supposed that no one had ever turned down his money before.

  “But why not, Kate? You did a fine job for me, and I promised to make it worth your while. And believe me, the pain and suffering that you saved my family is worth many times the amount of that check.”

  I didn’t want to offend him, but I was resolute.

  “As I said, Donald, I appreciate it. But I can’t accept it.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” He was growing angry.

  “Donald” — I interrupted him — “I can’t accept it because I’m leaving the firm.”

  I don’t know which one of us was more surprised. I’d certainly been thinking about the possibility, but I hadn’t known I’d made the decision.

  He no longer appeared surprised. Instead, he accepted my declaration with a nod of his head.

  “You’re not cut out for corporate law, are you.” It was a statement, not a question. Obviously he had noticed my lack of enthusiasm.

  I wrinkled my nose. “I’m afraid my heart’s just not in it, sir.”

  He nodded. For a moment it occurred to me that I should be mad that he wasn’t trying to talk me out of it. But apparently I hadn’t been fooling anyone.

  “When will you be leaving?”

  I honestly didn’t know. Now that I’d committed to leaving, I guess I had some decisions to make.

  “I’m not quite sure. There are a number of decisions that I have to make. I have to find another firm that’s willing to take me on.” I laughed and watched him smile.

  “Then why don’t you accept this check as your severance package,” he suggested. “Clean up a few things here and turn your cases over to Barbara. Then you can take some time to decide what you really want to do.”

  I returned his gaze for a few moments, ready to protest.

  “I won’t take no for an answer, Kate. Take the check as our thanks.” He turned to head for the door. “Best of luck to you, Kate.”

  “Thanks,” I muttered, but he was already gone.

  I suppose it was inevitable that I would rejoin Melanie at the Cambridge Family Law Center. Within Weeks I had leased space in the building and had begun the task of moving my law books and necessities into my office.

  There was the small task of having to buy office furniture, and it was Beth who made the obvious observation.

  “Gee, too bad you didn’t know you were going to be moving before we took all your old office furniture to Treasured Past.”

  I grimaced at the memory.

  “Did she ever sell it?” Beth asked.

  “I have no idea. It hadn’t so
ld the last time I was there.” My eyes floated over Beth. “Don’t go getting any ideas, sweetie. If you think I’m going over there to retrieve that furniture, you’re out of your mind.”

  Beth shrugged. “I’ll go.”

  “No you won’t.” I was adamant.

  “Why not? It makes perfect sense.” She was matter-of-fact.

  “You will not go over there for me, Beth.”

  “Ooh.” She glared at me. “Are you telling me what I can and cannot do?”

  “When it comes to this, yes, I am.”

  She slid me a mischievous look. “Don’t push my buttons, Kate. You’re giving me ideas.”

  “Well, don’t. Please.” I faked a smile. “Besides, I’m really thinking about going with something a lot more modern. Something kind of light and less imposing.”

  Beth didn’t believe me. “That doesn’t sound like you.”

  “It’s what I want,” I snapped. “Do you want to go shopping for office furniture with me?”

  Beth laughed. “You sure know how to have a good time.” She complained for a while longer before we got in my car and began the search.

  After three days, Beth made it clear that she’d had enough. “You hate everything you look at and you’re driving me crazy. Why don’t you just start looking at some antiques? You’ll be much happier.”

  “And you will be too?” I teased.

  “Exactly.”

  I considered her suggestion. “I don’t think I have it in me. It could take weeks to find something that I like.”

  Beth groaned. “There is one other possibility.”

  “Don’t even say it, Beth.”

  She was annoyed. “Then you’re on your own, sweetie. I’ve had enough.” She left me sulking on my front porch steps.

  Fine, I decided, I’d begin searching antique stores in the morning. Except that tomorrow was Sunday. Fine, I’ll start on Monday. What I wouldn’t do, though, was start going to auctions. I wanted to make sure there was no chance of running into Annie.

  On Sunday evening I received a call from Melanie, asking if I could meet her the following morning. “I’m running into some trouble on a case that I’m working on, and I think you might be able to help me.”